Monday, June 25, 2007

When I had my baby, I remember that my stomach was still a bit flabby and naturally I wondered if this was the beginning of the end. I mean, the baby was out and my stomach still maintained a 3-month pregnant look.

However in about a week, I was back in my normal clothes. In two weeks, my stomach was completely flat and had lost the blackness that came with pregnancy. I had a lot of time on my hands and money coming in although I wasn't working so I decided to focus on buying things to wear back to work. I was just so fed up with the dowdy maternity clothes and decided to give myself a treat. (yep, my mother was right). I even changed my glasses to berra ones.

My first day back at work was an experience. My office is a bit competitive in the ways of fashion and style. Let me walk you through a scenario of what you can expect when you get back from a Maternity leave.

First of all they sight you..Then their gaze fall to your tummy while their mouths are going through the motions.

"Hey, you are back! "

"Look at you, you look so good!" *Glance at the tummy*

Hug, hug *Surreptitiously feel the tummy for bulges and lumps*

Pull back, look at your face and sometimes, *hug hug again, in case they weren't sure what they felt the first time.*

May the Lord save you if that stomach is not as flat as a washboard, your gist will go round before you do.

I decided to save them all the trouble, I wore a tightish tank top and a jacket. Left the jacket unbuttoned. That way, no one would have to bother me with all the hug hugging.

true to type, this was what played out:

"Hellooo!! You!!"

Come in for a hug and secretly glance at tummy. (I actually see shock register) and then they throw all caution and secretiveness to the wind and actually stare, followed by gasp followed by

"Ah, look at your stomach. Hey, May the Lord do this one for me o! What did you do? "

I quietly assured them that I never exercised. I see that they don't believe me.

Whatever.

I have digressed jare. Let's just round up with saying that I decided to dress to flatter my body. Luckily, my sense of style has woken up (finally) and now I look good 90% of the time. Not bad for the nerd that started out earlier.

In case you are wondering why I wrote about this, it's actually for my fellow nerds who want to let out their sexy, stylish self. This is my success story. And for all those out there who think that a nerd can't chicify or blokify, you berra watch out. (S)he may just overtake you in the style game.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Perhaps the month I conceived (that sounds really grown –up) my daughter, I bought my first pair of high heeled slippers. They were brown with leather upper and wooden soles. The heels were 3.5” high and stiletto-ish. My friends and family were surprised as I have only done a maximum of 2.5” and they had to be solid block heels. Not for me the thin needle thin heels that my mates seem to favor. I always liked stability. Anyway, this time, my colleague in trying to make a sale, asked me to try on the slippers and walk around with them on. I did and I was curiously comfortable, so I bought them.

Those slippers did wonders for me. My scatter -scatter walk immediately got corrected. The fact that I was wearing heels forced me to walk slower and presto! I was walking daintily. The juju in those shoes also appeared to make me walk straighter. My boyfriend at the time was 6ft 4” to my 5ft 6” (okay, okay, 5ft 5” and something). It was great to bridge the gap.

I must have been about a month pregnant at the time. Feeling bolder and wanting to replicate this new found chicness in black, I asked my sister to buy me high heeled shoes when she travelled to England. When I received my new shoes, the heels were even more dainty and had more ratings on the chicness scale. I tottered around in them, they were so dainty! I was so into wearing my heels that I stopped wearing anything but my two new best friends. It got to a point that one day when I went for antenatal, a nurse called me aside and told me that pregnancy and heels don't go together and that I should go and invest in some flats. Scheew! I resented the fact that I had to (temporarily) say good bye to my shoes but I had to do what was best for my baby.

As my stomach grew, I started rotating the same old clothes all the time. Maternity clothes are frightfully ugly and the really nice ones are frightfully expensive. Pilgrimage to Self, you know how that is, dont you? My mum predicted that after at least 4 months of forced dowdiness, I would want to show the world my fashionable side. She said that for a lot of women, once they drop their "load" they suddenly go to the full hog fashion wise and even make several fashion faux pas trying to prove to the world that baby or no baby, they still have a great body. sorry, can't finish this now. Will do so ASAP.